Safety appliance for air-brakes.



tended along one of thesides'in a hofizontal liaise along another side; whereby plane beyond. the confines of the veltioalside' whentheboii is closed wedgiiig 0f the'base portions to form an extension ofthqbox-bot, "and cover members together is positively tom, and a cover member, compris ng a top prevented.

5 portion, and a side member at substantially I11 testimohy whereof I herelinto. set my 15 right angles thereto; 'arranged when the box handfin the resence of two witnesses. is closed to overlie a side of the base member SEPH H. WILLIAMSQN.

' and to efieet contact along its edge the In presenoe of bottomextension of the base member afore- L. L; MILLER,

I 10 said, said cover member beinghingedto the Fonim BAIN.

N0.*840,279. PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

W. H. WINKS. SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIR BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.24. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

INVENTOR \A/ALTER H. Wuv rs' ATTORNEYS Safety Appliances for Air-Brakes, of which. the following is a description.

- applied when a switch is open or a dangerfail t note the open .and it consists in certain novel features of and pointed outin the 'bular extension A. within the extension WALTER H. wruxs, or BALTIMORE, TO eInsoN W. METOALFE,

' Specification of Letters. Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.;

. Application filed October. 24, 1906. Serial No- 0.297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. WINKS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in My improvement relates to safety appliances for air-brakes, and has for its object to provide means whereby the air-brakes on a locomotive and train of cars will be quickly signal set should the engineer, from any cause switch or danger-signal;

construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in wlgch the internal shoulder-g,

I advance ofthe disk E Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improvement as applied in use. FimfZ'is a longitudinal section of the casing W 'ch is to be applied to a locomotive-pilot. ,Fig. 3 is a sec-- tional elevationof the tappet to operate the plunger of the device. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation of the tappet. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the casing, showing locking means for thecap of same. Fig. 6 is a top plan 'view of the locking-bail detached.

In carrying out myinvention I use a cas-- ing A, secured to the base-frameof the pilot B of a locomotive. Said casing is made of brass and has the front tubular extension A, to which is screwed the union A which is also made of. brass. Within the casing and passing through ,the union .A is a plunger C, which is preferably made of Tobin bronze, which will not be easily'aflected by the elements or by heat or cold. Saidplungerhas a flange 0, having a beveled ground shoulder c, which fits snugly the seat 0 Within the tu-' A coiled spring D fits around the plunger and rests at its forward end against the shoulder c and at its rear end against the internal annular flange a, normally tending to force the front ground face of the shoulder cagain'st its seat and forming thereby a tightvalvejoint. The rear end of the plunger is made pointed, as shown at 0 The rear end of the casing which is open, is formed with an internal shoulder a against which rests a washer and.

across the road-bed between the tracks.

a disk of thin glass or other frangible material E. A washer or gasket e rests against the rear face of'disk E, and against this rests the tubular retaining which projects beyond the rear end of the casing, which is reduced and has fitted thereon the rounded cap G, said cap being provided with the perforations g and having rear end of the retaining-ring F when the cap G is in position, and thereby holds the retaining-ring tightly against the frangible disk E. xtending upwardly from the casing in the train-pipe of the air-brake place at-the end of the casing by the following means: A bail K is pivotally secured at its forward ends to the casing on' each side of the same,- asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, so. that itmay swin freely.

over and beyond the said cap G, whic has in its outer face at its center the socketfor depression g. A thumb-screw k is threaded on the bail G at K?, the inner end of said screw being designed to cap; Now by screwing in the thumb-screw of the casing and can be readily removed when desired. 3

In the position of the parts as shown in Fig. 2, which isnormal, theforward end of the plunger will extend about one inch in ad-' seat in the socket 'g of the MARYLAND, 'ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND;

' 'SAFETYYAPPLIANCEY FOR AlR-BRAKES.

-ring F, the rear end-of,

a d which abuts the I is the pipe H with necconnections and ground joints for at- 'k the cap-will be securely held to the, rear end vance of the extreme forward end of the eng1nepilot, While the rear pointed'end of said plunger is about one-fourth of an inch in ad- Vance of the frangible disk E.

To-the railway-track at a suitable distance inadvance of a switch is located the tripping device, which I will now proceed to describe. Between'two of the ties and beneath each track are extensions 5', the face and edges of the two ties and prevent movement or shifting of the same. Each block has a hole drilled through it, in which is journaled a shaft K extendifig t the center of the shaft is keyed a collar L,- h'aving the beveled or curved notch Z. Fit-- tingloosely on the shaft is the tappet M, having the perforated legs m, disposed on each side of the collar L. The upper end of the tappet is turned over to form a flange m,

placed the blocks J, provided with having the lugs j, which fit over into which is screwed a bushing m through which passes a spring-bolt m the lower portion of said bolt being squared and passing through the strap m secured to one face of the tappet, The lower end of the bolt is beveled and normally fits in the notch Z of ing power of the ends of the bolt in the notch Z may be regulated by manipulating the locknut m on the upper end of the bushing m The-bolt is applied to the face of the tappet that is nearest the switch, leaving the other face of the one facing the approaching train perfectly smooth.

To use my improvements, the shaft K is operatively connected with the switch and signal mechanism, so that when the switch is opened the tappet will be carried up to a vertical position above the road-bed. now a train should approach the switch while it is open, the forward end of the plunger will strike against the tappet and be driven thereby back into the casing, and the pointed rear end of said plunger striking the disk E will rupture the same, allow the air in the train-pipe to escape through the perforation in the cap G, causing a reduction oftrainline pressure, and cause an application of the brakes of the train and brin the same to a stop before it can run into the open switch. When the forward end of the plunger strikes the tappet, the tappet being loosely fitted to the shaft, the spring-bolt will be forced out of the notch Z and slips around the circumference of the same to a horizontal position, allowing-the pilot topass over the tripping device withouth'arm to the parts of the same. When the switch is closed again, the shaft will be rotated reversely to what it was when the switch was opened, and as the notched collar is fast to or inte ral with said shaft it will turn with it until t 1e notch Z reaches the bolt m when the end of the bolt will again spring into the place and is ready for use again. The cap may then be removed, the retainingring and the broken disk removed, and a new frangible disk putin place, and the retainingtions.

ring and cap restored to their original posi- The perforated cap -Gr performs a double office: First, it ermits escape of air from the train-line an it also revents any extraneous I matters, such as I allast, &c., from being accidentally forced into the casing and rupturing the frangible disk E, which would result in an application of thei-airbrakes when not desired.

As stated, the trip ing device will be located a convenient istance in advance of the switch, and such distance will of course vary according to the character of the trains passing over the track, as for an express it would need be located a greater distance from the switch than for slower trains.

, All the joints will be ground to make them perfectly tight, so that there can be no leakage of air to cause an accidental application of air-brakes.

While I have shown one method of locking the cap, it is obvious that other means may be resorted to; also, that minor changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope and spiritof my lTlVGIlUOIl.

To keep the bail K in its proper position and prevent it from dropping below the casing, I place projecting stops on each side of the casin upon which said bail may rest.

What claim is l. A safety appliance for air-brakes consisting of a casing having connection with the train-line pressure pipe, a frangible diaphragm located within the same, and retaining thetrain-line pressure therein, a plunger within said casing and projecting therefrom, said casing being attached to the forward end .of an engine-pilot, and means located between railway-tracks adapted to im pinge the one end of the plunger and drive the other end against and fracture the frangible I 3. A safety appliance for air-brakes consisting of a casing fitted to the forward end of .a locomotive and having connection with the train-line-pressure pipe, a frangible diaphragm within said casing and retaining the train-line pressure therein, a perforated cap covering the rear end of said casing, a

plunger heldwithin the forward end of the casing, the rear end of said plunger being normally held a short distance inadvance of the frangible diaphragm, 'and a .tap 'et located between the railway-tracks an operatively connected with a switch or signal rod,

said tappet adapted to impinge the forward endyof the plunger and force the same rearwardly to rupture the frangible'diaphragln within the casing and cause escape and reduction of train-line pressure, and applicati on of the air-brakes.

4. A safety appliance for air-brakes consisting of a casing fitted to the forward end of a'iocomotive'and adapted to have connection with the train-line-pressure pipe, a frangible diaphragm within said casing retaining the train-line pressure therein, a plunger held within the forward end of the casing and pro- 'ecting'therefrom, the rear end of said plunger ein'g normally held a short distance in advance of the frangible diaphragm, and a tappet located between the railway-tracks and operatively connected to a switch or signal rod, said tappet comprising a collar rigidly secured to the switch or signal shaft, a bifurcated yoke rotatably mounted on the shaft and inclosing said collar, and a s'lidable bolt carried by said yoke and adapted to engage the periphery of the rigid collar.

, 5. A safety appliance for air-brakes consisting of a casing fitted to the forward end of a locomotive and having connection with the train-line-pressure pipe, a frangible diaphragm within said casing and retaining train-line pressure therein, a removable perforated capcovering the rear end of the eas- "ing, means for removably holding said perforated cap in position, a plunger movably held within the casing and projecting forwardly therefrom, the rear end of said plunger normally held slightly in advance of the frangible diaphragm, and means located between the railway-tracks, operatively connected with a switch or signal shaft, and adapted to impinge the forward end of the plunger.

6. A safety appliance for air-brakes consisting of a casing fitted to the forward end of a locomotive adapted to have connection with the train-line-pressure pipe, a frangible diaphragm within said casing and retaining the train-line ressure therein, a plunger held within the orward end of the casing and projecting therefrom, the rear end of said plunger being normally held a short distance in advance of the frangible diaphragm, and a tap et located. between the railway-tracks an operatively connected to a switch or signal rod, said .tappet com rising a'notched collar rigidly mounted on t 10 switch or signal shaft, a bifurcated yoke rotatably mounted on said shaft and inclosing said collar, a

spring-actuated slidable bolt carried by said yoke and adapted to engage the notched collar, and means for regulating the tension HENRY I. KIRK, FERDINAND J. SLAGLE.

of the spring. 

